My Ethnicity

My ancestry is neatly divided into three clusters and one melting pot. The three tidy groups are:

SCOTTISH -  my paternal grandfather, Johnston Cumberland Paterson

ENGLISH -  my paternal grandmother, Dorothy Eleanor May Warry (Paterson)

FINNISH - my maternal grandfather, Fidjof Jaakko Waldemar Makie

Then there is my hodgepodge:

AMERICAN - my maternal grandmother, Ruby Alberta Belknap (Makie) This line goes back to the start of immigration to America.

Based on Family Tree DNA Autosomal Test known as Family Finder this is what my ethnic makeup looks like:

  

30% BRITISH ISLES - mostly from my Dad who had a Scottish Father and English Mother and perhaps a little from my Mother's American side.

25% FINLAND - probably all from my Mother's Dad ancestry.

20% SCANDINAVIA - could be from both my Mother and Dad. The Vikings were all over the map.

14% WEST & CENTRAL EUROPE - probably my Mother's American heritage, as I found some German.

7% IBERIA - no clue. I'm thinking part of my hodgepodge.

4% EAST EUROPE - probably my Mother's American side.

Trace of CENTRAL ASIA for fun.

  

Population Cluster Description - Family Tree DNA

To find out more about the autosomal test:

International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki

Gone Fishing - Family Search

Wordless Wednesday - Rock Lake

I posted a photo in 2013 that had Finnish on the back. I had a cousin comment with a translation. Thanks. Here is another photo in my collection with Finnish.

Friday's Faces from the Past - California 1949

52 Ancestors - Sakris Honkawaara

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  Each week focus on one ancestor and post something about him or her.

This week I'm looking at my Finnish side. Sakris Honkawaara (Waara) was my 2nd great grandfather. Sakris was born in Pudasjärvi, Oulu, Finland. According to the Gothenburg, Sweden, passenger lists, he was 44 years old when he immigrated aboard the Orlando to Hancock, Michigan, United States in 1882. He left his wife, Britta and four children to follow in 1884.

The family stays in Michigan at least till 1889, as two more daughters are born there. One daughter being my great grandmother, Carolina (Liina).  Sakris and his family are in Towner, North Dakota, United States for the 1900 and 1910 census. Sakris is listed as being a farmer. 

The Finnish seemed to move in groups and once again in 1911, they are on the move. His family has now increased with daughters-in-laws, sons-in-laws, and grandchildren. One daughter, Mary, stays in United States. His daughter Anna Kaisa married Gideon Mustonen. My great grandmother, Liina married Jack Makie. Johanna (Hannah) married John Antilla.  Sakris's son, Charlie married Olga Kellokoski and son, Sakris married Anna (last name unknown). So, at the age of 75, Sakris and his wife follow the rest of the family to southern Saskatchewan, Canada. This is the last move for Sakris, as he dies at the age of 82. He is buried at the Dunblane Finnish Cemetery, Saskatchwan, far from his homeland.

See post about my Finnish Side:

Surname Saturday - My Finnish Roots

Friday's Faces from the Past - California 1949

This photo is from a box of photos that my Mom received in the mail from her brother.  Most of the photos are of unidentified relatives. These photos would be my Mom's parents photos.  Since a lot of them have Finnish on the back, I would assume her father's side.  Her father was Fridjof Jaakko Waldemar Makie.  His parents Jaakko Makie and Carolina Waara (Honkawaara).  For more information on my Finnish Roots, please see my post on June 18, 2011.

I put the words into Google translator and came up with this.  

This is the same place for swimming mom tossed my cast, that if I got cold
This was january 30, 1949. California

Some of it makes sense, but my cast?

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Heritage Pie

I know it’s not Saturday night, but I was working.  So mine will be Sunday Morning Genealogy Fun.  Thanks to Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings for the mission.

My 16 great great grandparents are:

16. Johnston PATERSON, son of James PATERSON and Ann HUNTER was born on 29 Dec 1814 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He died on 20 Apr 1891 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He married Catherine MUIRHEAD on 02 Jul 1837 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

17. Catherine MUIRHEAD, daughter of George MUIRHEAD and Catherine KENNEDY was born about 1819 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. She died on 23 Aug 1897 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.

18. William DANSKINE, son of James DANSKINE and Helen HARDIE was born in 1816 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. He died on 10 Oct 1885 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He married Agnes FINDLAY on 20 Jan 1837 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

19. Agnes FINDLAY, daughter of James FINDLAY and Agnes GILCHRIST was born in 1816 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. She died on 08 Aug 1892 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

20. George Augustus WARRY, son of William K WARRY and Mary Ann TAYLOR was born about 1848 in Islington, Middlesex, England. He died in Mar 1916 in Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, United Kingdom. He married Emily WORTHINGTON on 20 Jun 1875 in Old St. Pancras, Middlesex, England, UK.

21. Emily WORTHINGTON, daughter of William WORTHINGTON and Sarah (Worthington) was born about 1852 in London, England (St. Pancras).

22. John William SMITH, son of William SMITH and Sarah HORE was born on 17 Jun 1841 in Dorset, England (Parkstone). He died in 1913. He married Sarah Everton WAKEMAN on 01 Oct 1865 in Parkstone, Dorest, Poole, England.

23. Sarah Everton WAKEMAN, daughter of James WAKEMAN was born about 1841 in Worcestershire, England (Stourport).

24. Melvin MAKELA was born in Finland. He died in 1906. He married Unknown (Maki).

25. Unknown (Maki). (pobably born and died in Finland)

26. Sakaris HONKAWAARA was born in Feb 1836 in Pudasjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland. He died in  1918 in Dunblane, Saskatchewan, Canada. He married Briita Maria RIEKKI in 1870 in Pudasjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland.

27. Briita Maria RIEKKI was born in Dec 1846 in Pudasjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland. She died in 1923 in Dunblane, Saskatchewan, Canada (Dunblane Finnish Cemetary).

28. Thomas Jefferson BELKNAP, son of Martin Seymour BELKNAP and Betsey Ann BRISTOL was born on 03 Nov 1850 in Lewis, New York, USA. He died on 17 Jun 1942 (Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada). He married Mary Elizabeth FEIDLER on 01 Oct 1876.

29. Mary Elizabeth FEIDLER, daughter of Henry FIDDLER and Frances GEORGE was born on 02 Dec 1852 in Williams, Calhoun, Iowa, USA. She died on 26 Jul 1898 in Minneapolis, Anoka,
Minnesota, USA.

30. James Robert LANDERS, son of John William LANDERS and Mary Angeline HUMBERT was born on 21 Feb 1854 in Danville, Hendricks, Indiana, USA. He died on 21 Feb 1929 in Riverton, Fremont, Wyoming, USA (Mountain View Cemetary). He married Angeline Henrietta LITTRELL on 29 Aug 1883 in Mercer, Illinois, USA.

31. Angeline Henrietta LITTRELL, daughter of John H LITTRELL and Letis Ellen KNOX was born on 28 Feb 1855 in Dubuque, Iowa, USA. She died on 10 Aug 1888 in Keithsburg, Mercer, Illinois, USA.

Birth places of my great great grandparents:

Scotland - 4
England - 4
Finland - 4
USA - 4

                                                     

Wow, just as I thought - pretty even.  If I were to do this for my husband, Robert - would be 100% Canadian.

Canada Day

Happy Canada Day

Today is a statutory holiday in Canada.  A day to celebrate Canada’s birthday. On July 1, 1867 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the province of Canada joined together to form Canada.  Before 1982, this day was known as Dominion Day.

So when did Robert’s and my ancestors come to Canada?

1760 - Benjamin Foster and Sarah Woodward arrived in Granville, Nova Scotia, Canada from Hampstead, New Hampshire, USA. (Robert’s 7th great grandparents).

1761 - Stephen Loomer and Hannah Chapman arrived in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, Canda from New London County, Connecticut, USA. (Robert’s 6th great grandparents).

1766 - Michael Lutz with 7 other families sails from Pennsylvania, USA up the Bay of Fundy to Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.  He was originally from Germany. (Robert’s 7th great grandfather).

1817 - Robert St. Clair Stoddart, a solider from Ireland accepted a land grant in Nova Scotia when his regiment was disbanded.  (Robert’s 4th great grandfather).

1899 Thomas Belknap crossed the border in Alberta, Canada from USA with his son Donald. Donald’s daughter, Ruby will be the only grandparent of Jacqueline born in Canada. (Jacqueline’s  2nd great grandfather).

1907 - Francis Paterson, his wife, Elizabeth Danskine, and their children arrived from Scotland.  (Jacqueline’s great grandparents).

1907 - Alfred Warry arrives from England followed by his wife Edith Smith and their children Dorothy, John, and Sydney in 1906. (Jacqueline’s great grandparents).

1911 - Jaakko Makie, his family with his wife’s parents crossed the border from the USA.  Jaakko is originally from Finland.  (Jacqueline’s great grandparents).

These are just a few of our ancestors who chose to come to Canada.

Surname Saturday - My Finnish Roots

My Finnish roots are from my Mom’s paternal side.  Her father was born in Hansboro, Rolette,Towner, North Dakota December 9, 1906. Fridjof Jaakko Waldemar Makie (Fritz) was the son of parents of Finnish heritage.  His father was Jaakko Makie Makela (Jack Makie) born 1883 in Finland.  His mother was Carolina Honkawaara (Liina Waara) born 1887 in Oscar, Michigan, USA. My confusion comes from all these different names.  To find any records you have to do some creative searching.  

I’ve have found very little about the Makie side except Makela, Maki, and Makie means of the hill.  I have found a little more on the Honkawaara (Waara) side.  My best information was a book on the area they lived in Saskatchewan.   “The Echos of Coteau”  published by the Coteau History Commitee in 1981.  I was able to borrow the book through inter-library loan for a three week period, no renews. I discovered stories and connection to grandparents, great grandparents, ggreat  grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Most of the stories were written by my great aunt, Velma Deydey (my grandfather’s sister).

Liina Waara parents were Sakris Honkawaara and Britta Riekki from Finland. They immigrated in 1885 (although I have not found any records to date) with their children Mary, Anna Kaisa, Charlie, and Sakris.  Two more children were born in Michigan, Liina and Johanna.  The family lived in Michigan, North Dakota, and Saskatchewan.  The Finnish seemed to be a tight knit group with neighbors showing up in census records in the different areas.  So if you’re having difficultly finding your relative, look at neighbors who may have an easier surname or an area of Finns.

I have a lot of research to do on my Finnish side. Although history books don’t have citations to sources, they give you great clues to family connections and stories to help round out your ancestors.  Records won’t be able to  tell me that:
- my great great grandparents grew their own tobacco and lived in a sod shanty.
- my great great grandmother smoked a corn pipe and made “Fiillia” (yogurt).
- my great uncle Charlie was a drummer, casket maker, and woodworker.
- that my great uncle Charlie’s wife, Olga was born without one arm, but never let it hold her back
- how my cousin Acel came to live with my great grandparents after his mother died of the Spanish Flu.
- my relative celebrated “Vappu” in May and “Juhannus” in June.

To learn more about the Finnish in Saskatchewan look on the Saskatchewan Gen Web.
“Vappu” and “Juhannus” celebration explanations are found on Wikipedia - Walpurgis Night, look under Finland.
To find where you may borrow “The Echoes of Coteau”  Library and Archives Canada
To learn more about North Dakota look on the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

The novel “Rope of Time” by Larry Warwaruk is a great book to get an idea of the Finnish   immigrants who came to United States and then on to Saskatchewan, Canada.  If you wish to get a copy you can probably find one on Abe Books.

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day

For all you Mom’s have a wonderful day.  In honour of Mother’s Day, here is the maternal line of myself and Robert.

Jacqueline

Me (Paterson), My Mom (Makie), Ruby Belknap (1917-1997), Bessie Landers (1888-1947), Angeline Littrell (1855-1888), Letis Ellen Knox (1830-?), Clarissa Fuller (1810-1891), Avis Briggs (1773-1814), Lettice Hill (1745-1813)

Robert

Robert Foster, His Mom (Stoddart), Living Lutz, Florence Palmer (1899-1975), Bessie Mapplebeck (1879-1902), Fanny McKinley (1850-1899)